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 | How do I choose a fish oil supplement?
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|  Fish oil supplements are dietary supplements that contain oil from cold water fish such as mackerel, salmon, black cod, albacore tuna, sardines, and herring. The active ingredients in fish oil supplements are essential fatty acids known as omega-3 fatty acids. They typically include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Since most of the medical research about fish oil has used products that contain both EPA and DHA, it’s a good idea to choose a fish oil product that contains both. It is not a good idea to use cod liver oil as a fish oil supplement because it contains very high levels of vitamin A. High doses of vitamin A can cause headache, dry skin, itching, and liver damage. Fish oil supplements that contain both EPA and DHA include >Nature’s Bounty Natural EPA Fish Oil gel caps. Nature Made Natural Pro EPA Fish Oil is also a good product because Nature Made has high purity and potency standards.The dose of fish oil required to reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream is five to twenty grams (or 5,000 to 20,000 mg) a day. You will see a greater risk for side effects at the higher dosages. Sources:
Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts & Comparisons, 2007.
Fasching P. "Fish Oil Supplementation Versus Gemfibrozil Treatment in Hyperlipidemic NIDDM. A Randomized Crossover Study," Hormonal and Metabolic Research 28 (1996).
Gray, D.R. "Fish Oil As An Adjuvant in the Treatment of Hypertension," Pharmacotherapy 16 (1996).
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2007.
This answer prepared 4/20/2001.
This information updated 1/22/2007.
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